New Luxembourg nationality law passes parliament

Published Tuesday March 07 2017

... Luxembourg's parliament .... passed a new nationality law on Thursday. Under the law, it will become easier to obtain Luxembourgish nationality under certain circumstances. The law will now have to clear a final hurdle and is expected to enter
into force on April 1, 2017
.

Parliament passed the new law on February 9....

What are the main changes?

The obligatory time of residence in Luxembourg to acquire the nationality has been
reduced from seven years to five
. Of these five, the last year has to be uninterrupted.

Applicants must still pass a language test at A2 in oral expression and B1 in comprehension. However, a compensation mechanism has been introduced, allowing balance for a lower score in oral expression with a higher score in comprehension, for example.

Candidates must also attend 24 hours of the 'Living together in the Grand Duchy' course or pass the test that represents an equivalent of this course.

One key component of the reform is the introduction of 'jus soli' enabling people born in Luxembourg to non-native parents to obtain nationality when they turn 18, provided they are resident in Luxembourg for at least five consecutive years before their 18th birthday. Additionally, one of their parents must have lived in Luxembourg for at least 12 consecutive months immediately prior to the child's birth.

Simplified procedures called 'options' can be applicable for candidates in 11 different cases, including but not limited to marriage, voluntary service in the army, immigration, the setting up of a “contrat d'acceuil et d'intégration” or having lived in the country for more than 20 years.

Applicants who have lived in the country for 20 or more years are asked to attend 24 hours of certified Luxembourgish language classes. They are not obliged to sit the language exam, however.

People born in Luxembourg to parents who are not Luxembourgish can apply for nationality from the age of 12 on the condition that the child has lived in Luxembourg for the five years preceding the application, and one of its parents lived in Luxembourg for minimum one year immediately prior to the child's birth.

Candidates marrying a Luxembourger can acquire the same nationality provided the partner lives in Luxembourg or the couple has been married for at least three years immediately prior to the application. The applicants must still pass the language exam and attend the 'Living together in the Grand Duchy' course or pass its test.

If candidates fulfil all requirements, they can still see themselves denied their application if they have received a suspended prison sentence of two years or a prison sentence of one year.